Core i7 is the name of a group of computer processors created by Intel Corporation. Released in the fall of 2008, models of processors within the Core i7 family include the Bloomfield, Lynnfield, and Clarksfield models. Core i7 computer processors use what is known as Nehalem microarchitecture. In basic terms, this refers to the way that the microprocessor is built, specifically its size and subsequent energy efficiency. Processors created with the new Nehalem microarchitecture technology are 45 nanometers in size compared to earlier processors that measured 65 nanometers – a difference that greatly increases energy efficiency, which results in greater performance and power for a computer.

The family of Core i7 processors also expands a computer’s abilities thanks to its use of what are known as multiple cores. Cores are independent processors that can be integrated to work together in a single computer. Processors created with Nehalem microarchitecture are available in models with four or eight cores. By having numerous cores that are integrated, signals sent between these circuits can go much faster. This produces better signal quality and subsequently allows more data to be processed quicker.

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While processing data at these speeds can greatly increase a computer’s ability for multitasking, there are some disadvantages to computing with multiple cores. By working faster and harder, multi-core processors can place a strain on other areas of a computer, namely its memory bandwidth. Also, multi-core technology is only as good as its software; while improvements have been made in the Core i7 models, only time will tell if the software is capable of maximizing the potential of numerous cores.

Core i7 processors are available in computers sold by many of the top computer manufacturers and are available for both laptop and desktop computers. There are seven varieties of processors for desktop computers and another seven varieties for laptops. Different processor numbers offer variant specifics to suit a computer user’s needs, such as number of cores, clock speed of processor, cache capacity, size in nanometers, and type of boosting technology.

Computers with Core i7 processors are best suited for anyone who wants a computer with powerful performance that can handle a wide variety of tasks at once. When the processors were first released, computer experts generally gave the technology high marks and continue to do so because it represents an advance in processing. The general buzz in the technology sphere says that thanks to the new Nehalem microarchitecture, Core i7 processors are not just an upgrade or revamping of previous technology, but an entirely new design of processors that can offer an entirely new set of possibilities.

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